Author: Brian Grim

Thirty pieces is all it took 
to throw Jesus under the bus. 
Judas was more than just a crook; 
he was was controlled by seething lust. 
The one thing he could never brook 
was letting money gather dust. 
He was concerned to always cook 
the books to build up his own trust. 
Yet, in my life I too must look: 
Is there a vice on which I'm hooked?   

“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.” – Matthew 26: 14-16

See not The Truth that stares you in the face. 
That Truth, if seen, will change your course for good. 
Instead, cling to the alternating truths 
that prove to you that you are right, not him.

And when That Truth stood boldly up to them, 
they picked up stones to throw at him, at him! 
"A devil is inside of him! We must 
now kill him so our truths stay firmly fixed!" 
But he went out and left their souls for good. 

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. … Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.” – John 8: 51, 59

The light of life is what he gives 
unto the ones who follow him. 
That light, eternal, truly is
a focused spotlight showing them: 
The cross is lit; it is his hour 
to demonstrate his heavenly power.
By shining in that awful place, 
he shows us power is fueled by grace. 

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” – John 8: 12

At the pool Bethesda: “Jesus saith unto him, ‘Rise, take thy bed, and walk.’ And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.” – John 5: 8-9

Around the pool there were many
  seeking to be healed.
Of them all, the one he spied
  was to the rest concealed.
The infirmed man for thirty-eight years
  could barely move at all.
But on that day at Jesus' word
  he stood up straight and tall.
He knew not then who cured him there.
  But when he broke the rules,
the Righteous Ones demanded to know
  who freed him at the pool.
He later learned that Jesus did it,
  and told the Righteous Guild,
who from that day conspired and said,
  "That Jesus must be killed!"

The second time that Jesus gave a sign, 
it was as if it were the opposite. 
The water turned to wine, that was the first. 
The second happened far from people's view: 
A healing days by foot from where he was. 
These, juxtaposed, allow us, yes, to see 
that deeper signs are far from noisy crowds. 

“And this is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judea into Galilee.” – John 4: 54

The beating heart within the human soul
is pumping blood that gives eternal life.
The first beat is the love of God, I'm told;
The second is the love for other souls. 

“And the scribe said unto [Jesus], Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.” — Mark 12: 32-34

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be great in the kingdom of heaven.” _ Matthew 5: 17-19

The Gospel today seems legalistic
And perhaps even unrealistic
And not to mince words, a mite simplistic.
But not when using the "back up" heuristic!

The verses before hold the key, indeed.
Blessed are:
- the poor in spirit,
- they that mourn,
- the meek,
- they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness,
- the merciful,
- the pure in heart,
- the peacemakers,
- they which are persecuted for righteousness sake,
- ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say al manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

The Beatitudes, Matthew 5: 1-12

"The grudge I hold is justified:
the wicked one has done me wrong!"
Say I unto the magistrate,

who says, "In jail you do belong.
Had you forgiven and not done
the grievous act against your foe,
today you'd live in liberty.
Instead, you're bound by hate you've sown."

Then the master sent for him. “You wicked servant,” he said, “I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?” And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt. And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.’ — Matthew 18: 32-35

Welcome to my reflections on Jesus, the provocateur, which I began during Lent 2025. It hit me again just how provocative Jesus is as I read about his first hometown ‘sermon’ (Luke 4: 16-30) in the context of his just having been tempted in the wilderness by Satan to satiation, power and immortality (Luke 4: 1-12). Join me on this, my Lenten journey and beyond. – Brian

For forty days the Spirit led
  him in the wilderness
Where he ate nought as Satan spoke
  with haughty wiliness. 
Rebuking him, the Savior then
  began his ministry;
'Twas in the region of his birth --
  exposing bigotry --
He lifted up the foreigners
  the Scriptures lionize. 
And thus began the road he trod
  to open wide our eyes.

“And all they … when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.” — Luke 4: 28-29 (also see Luke 4: 1-27)

The kingdom of God, ripped from our hands,
Because we treated it as if t'were ours.
Instead of love and grace ruling our lands,
Anger and fearfulness turned our wine sour.

“Therefore I say unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given forth to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” – Matthew 21: 43